Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Story of Rosie, a Hyperthyroid Bodega Cat

Hello my name is "Rosie."

I'm a cat—but not your everyday, ordinary, run-of-the-mill cat, mind you. I am, I must say, a beautiful, all-white, Turkish/Persian long-hair with stunning yellow to green eyes. People are easily attracted to me —not just for my beauty, but also for my personality. I am very special in everyone's eyes!

Let me tell you about my past:

As a kitten, I was cared for by a very lovely lady who lived in a large, lovely apartment in New York City. I was very happy with her for many years, but then, a tragic turn of events made me an orphan. My mistress suddenly passed away, and I was all alone in the world! But a kindly doorman in my building knew me well, and he decided to take me into his home. He has a lovely wife and two children, so I thought: "This is going to be a great home for me." But it was not to be— his children were very allergic to cats, and even though they loved me a lot, I could not continue to stay there.

So the kindly doorman started his search for a new home for me.

There is a small bodega in the area run by a nice man and his two sons (for those of you who live outside of the City, a "bodega" is a small deli and convenience store; there's one on every block in New York City). The present owner has run this bodega for over 30 years. They all work long shifts, 7 days a week. He has other family overseas, so he and his sons rotate, one of them going back to visit the family about every 6 months.

Anyway, I was introduced to the owner and two sons, and they immediately loved me and adopted me as their own. So for the last 3 years, I have been "Rosie the Bodega Cat." I like it there. I see and meet many people, all day long, every day. They treat me very well, feed me, and look after me in all ways, as best as they know how. At night I guard the store, and I'm a good security guard!

Then, in the June of 2011, a wonderful thing happened to me, and my life changed once again.

A very beautiful blonde lady named Gladys, who came to the bodega occasionally, noticed me and took a shine to me. Before long, she fell in love with me and I love her very much. Gladys has been looking out for me in all respects. She comes to see me 2 or 3 times a day. As soon as I hear her voice, I come right out to see her, and she plays with me and pets me. Sometimes she'll give me a treat —I like that!

One day Gladys decided that I needed some grooming. So with the blessing of the owners of the bodega, I was to go to a big animal hospital in the neighborhood to get a bath and grooming. A luxury day at the cat spa! So one morning, I went with Gladys a few blocks to the animal hospital.

It all sounded simple enough, but alas—complications developed. It seems as though I needed a slight sedative so my groomer would have no behavioral problem while grooming me. Unfortunately, during my grooming, another big problem was found. I had developed a rather large, ugly black tumor on my stomach, near my mammary glands.

So now I needed lots of professional veterinary care. A simple grooming turned into a major medical problem for me. Simply put, I would have to be sedated and put under anesthesia, so that they could remove that ugly tumor and have it checked for malignancy—you know: cancer!

Dr. Peterson examining Rosie

So my surgery was done on a Friday. My operation went very well. My doctor was excellent, and she also loved me very much. To tell you the truth, all the hospital employees loved me to death. They came by my kennel area often, and took me out, made a fuss over me, and played with me, and gave treats too. Not bad, luxurious living for a bodega cat!

I stayed at the hospital for about 10 days for care and observation. I also had to wear a silly neck collar, so I could not reach my tummy and cause a healing problem by licking the incision. We cats love to groom ourselves — grooming and sleeping are big parts of our day!

I've been dubbed "Rosie, the Celebrity Cat," not just there at the hospital, but in the whole neighborhood! Look out, Hollywood, here I come! The first animated "Rosie the Cat" movie is just around the corner. By the way, good news! The tumor was benign — you know, no cancer!

Oh, I forgot to mention another complication. The doctor gave me a very comprehensive pre-operative exam. As a result, it was discovered that I had a problem common to many cats: hyperthyroidism. That's a mighty big word for a small, beautiful, white, 9-pound cat, don't you think?

So after another grooming, I went home for about 6 days to complete my recovery. Gladys then took me to a specialty hospital: Dr. Mark E. Peterson's Animal Endocrine Clinic up on West 100th Street. At the AEC, Dr. Peterson has a Hypurrcat treatment facility where he treats cats specifically for hyperthyroidism with radioiodine. How about that name —Hy-purr-cat? By the way, I purr a lot because I'm a very happy, content cat!

So last Sunday, I met Dr. Peterson, who turns out to be the world's expert on my condition, having treated over 10,000 cats over his 30 year career. Now, Rosie, the Celebrity Cat will be number 10,001! He carefully examined me but spent a great deal of time petting me, which I actually enjoyed (he is very gentle!). As Dr. Peterson explained to Gladys, there are no side effects, no pain, just one little injection! And it's a very effective treatment! And he was right: the treatment consisted of a little injection under the skin, and it really didn't hurt a bit.

Rosie in her condo at Hypurrcat

Wow, can you believe all of this? I can't, but guess what? I'm enjoying my stay here! First, my accommodations are really nice. I'm in the Penthouse condo, high above everyone so I have a great view. I have my own large personal condo, of course, with hiding boxes, perches, litter box, alcoves and good ventilation!

Now get this, folks: I also have my own flat-screen TV that plays relaxing nature videos! I also have a window view of the rear courtyard, where I can see squirrels, and birds, eating from feeders! Dr. Peterson and his staff are really nice to me here — I can eat as much as I want and I get lots of attention.

I can't believe all this is happening to "Little Rosie, the Bodega Cat!" What a life! I thought you would like to hear my story. I hope you like it!

But most of all, I thank you very much Gladys for your deep love and care for me! Thankfully you got over your cat allergy just in time to look after me so lovingly. You are the best, the best thing that has ever happened to me! I love you to pieces!

XOXO

Rosie

PS: After I leave Hypurrcat (I don't really want to go — the accommodations here are great and I love watching the birds), I don't know where I'll end up, but I promise to keep you all updated as my saga continues.

This blog is written for owners of pets with endocrine disorders, as well as for veterinarians and veterinary staff.
For more in-depth discussions of the science behind endocrinology, please read my blog written for veterinarians: Insights into Veterinary Endocrinology.

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About Dr. Mark E. Peterson

about the animal endocrine clinic

The only Animal Clinic in the world devoted exclusively to diagnosis and treatment of dogs and cats with endocrine (hormonal) problems.

The Animal Endocrine Clinic is comprised of 3 subdivisions:1) an outpatient endocrinology clinic for dogs and cats with diabetes, thyroid, parathyroid, or adrenal diseases;2) Hypurrcat, a radioiodine treatment center for cats with hyperthyroidism; and3) Nuclear Imaging for Animals, in which radioisotopes are used for thyroid, liver, kidney or bone imaging (scanning).